NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Tennessee State University President Glenda Glover says improving retention, graduation and the overall success of students remain top priorities of the university.

Glover kicked off the 2018 spring semester with an address to the Faculty and Staff Institute.

She said the single objective of TSU is educating, graduating and “enhancing the lives of the students we touch.”

“Our one overriding objective is to meet the needs of all our students,” the president said.

Participants gather for the 2018 Spring Faculty and Staff Institute in Poag Auditorium. (Photo by John Cross, TSU Media Relations)

At the gathering in Poag Auditorium, Glover introduced Dr. Alisa L. Mosley as the interim vice president for Academic Affairs, replacing Dr. Mark Hardy who retired last semester. Faculty and staff also heard from Dr. Achintya Ray, chair of the Faculty Senate; and Staff Senate Chair Linda Goodman.

Glover reported that the university remains in full compliance with the governance standards of the Southern Association of Colleges and Universities, the accrediting agency, following a review. As a result of the FOCUS Act, which established a new governing board for the university, the SACS Commission on Colleges made a peer review team visit to ensure TSU was still in compliance with the commission’s governance standards.

“I am glad to report that the peer review team found TSU to be in compliance with all standards pertaining to the governance change,” Glover said.

A rendering of the 120,000-square-foot Tennessee State University Health Science Building. The building is in its design phase. (Courtesy photo)

On program accreditation, Glover reported that aeronautical industrial tech, occupational therapy, education, music and social work programs have all received re-accreditation as a result of 2016/2017 site visits by the respective accrediting agencies.

Glover also announced several new programs. They include an Executive Ph.D. in Higher Education Leadership, Ph.D. in Public Health, and B.S. in Nonprofit Management and Leadership, which are awaiting approval from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. Master of Science in Engineering and Hospitality Management programs are also under consideration, she said.

Glover said the university was also reviewing low-producing programs, as well as enhancing focus on the undergraduate-nursing program.

“We want to make sure all programs are up to standard and relevant with the right amount of students. There is no need keeping programs that have low participation,” she said.

The president also discussed capital improvement and infrastructure enhancements. A new 120,000-square-foot Health Sciences building is in the design phase, while two new residence halls are in the designer selection phase, she said.

“We lose students because of living conditions, so we want to make sure we have the facilities that will keep them here. Our campus is safe, overall campus crime is down and we are doing everything possible to make Tennessee State University the safest campus,” Glover said.

With more than 8,000 students, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a comprehensive, urban, co-educational, land-grant university offering 38 bachelor’s degree programs, 25 master’s degree programs and seven doctoral degrees. TSU has earned a top 20 ranking for Historically Black Colleges and Universities according to U.S. News and World Report, and rated as one of the top universities in the country by Washington Monthly for social mobility, research and community service. Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University celebrated 100 years in Nashville during 2012. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.